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Volunteers may work as hard as any paid employee, but they aren't in a workplace as far as the provincial government is
concerned.
That means the October fall from a Tatamagouche church roof that fatally injured a Prince Edward Island man is not
governed by Nova Scotia occupational health and safety law, said Jacqueline May, a spokesperson for the Labour Department.
Patrick Joseph Gaudet died at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax after sustaining head injuries in
a five-metre fall from scaffolding to a concrete surface.
Ms. May said recently that if a person doesn't receive money for services, then there are no employees at the site and
it is not a workplace as defined by the law.
The provincial Volunteer Services Act and Volunteer Protection Act, both administered by the Justice Department, aim to
protect volunteers from lawsuits arising from the free services they offer, but do not protect their physical safety,
she said.
In its last budget, the province announced plans for an insurance program for volunteers and not-for-profit organizations,
Nova Scotia Health Promotion and Protection spokesperson Sue Mckeage said Friday.
The department, which is responsible for volunteerism, is working with the insurance industry to provide sustainable,
affordable, and accessible coverage for volunteers and the organizations they serve, said Ms. Mckeage.
By April, 2009, a single contact point within government will provide support and clear insurance information to volunteers,
whether they need it for one event or long-term, she said.
Habitat for Humanity, which relies on volunteers to build homes for those who need them, requires that volunteers have their
own insurance, which is available through the organization's plan and costs $5 per person, said Halifax build co-ordinator
Anna Connolly.
The organization also has a committee to deal with the safety, health, and environment of the volunteers who offer their
services and a policy that ensures they receive safety training and appropriate equipment.
Ms. Connolly said it's a challenge to find people to train volunteers, but it's useless to have the safety equipment if
no one knows how to use it.
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Province: Insurance in the works.